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Internet gambling regulation provides opportunity to generate tens of billions for government

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An updated analysis found that the U.S. could receive as much as $51.9 billion in federal revenue over the next decade if Internet gambling is regulated as proposed in legislation introduced by Representatives Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Jim McDermott (D-Wash.). The new revenue estimates are approximately 22 percent larger than those of an earlier analysis prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007, reflecting the increased online gambling activities of Americans despite attempts to prohibit activity through passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

Representatives Frank and McDermott have expressed a commitment to re-introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would regulate the industry and ensure revenues that are currently lost to offshore gambling operators are collected and remain in the U.S. Representative Frank previously introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2046) that would establish a regulatory and enforcement framework for licensed gambling operators to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the U.S. In March 2008, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced a companion bill to H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2008 (H.R. 2607) which would tax regulated Internet gambling activities.

Originally posted on February 22, 2009 @ 10:38 pm

FamilyLink.com raises $2.4 million funding

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FamilyLink.com, developer of the Facebook application We’re Related, has raised $2.85 million in Series B funding as social networking services continue to grow despite the economic situation. The funding was led by vSpring Capital and TTP Capital Advisors of Japan.

We’re Related is one of the most popular applications on Facebook. It is used by nearly a million people every day. The company’s flagship social networking site will launch later this quarter at FamilyLink.com.

FamilyLink.com turned profitable in late 2008 as it was finalizing its fund-raising efforts. The company employs 30 people in the U.S., including in Seattle, WA, Boulder, CO, and its headquarters in Provo, Utah, and has development offices in India and the Philippines.

The company’s goal is to become the global leader in family social networking on all social networks and mobile platforms.

Originally posted on February 25, 2009 @ 1:00 pm

Filed Under: Web

Mobile revenues to reach $14.6 billion by 2013

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Global revenues from mobile music services will reach nearly $14.6 billion by 2013 despite a fall in ringtone sales, a new report from Juniper Research revealed.

The Juniper report also found that many of the key hurdles to mass adoption of full-track services have been significantly reduced, notably handset form factor, memory constraints, and (in some markets) a reduction of data costs. It said that these factors, allied to the increasing willingness of the major labels to participate in mobile ventures and the proliferation of user-generated content in the mobile space, were likely to drive push adoption and usage levels still higher.

Much of the recent interest in full-track downloads across the industry has been stimulated by iPhone and iPhone 3G.

The Juniper Research report includes historical, current and forecast market sizing through to 2013, including data on service usage, user numbers, pricing, user spend and end-user revenues together with scenario-based forecasts of the impact of the economic downturn on mobile music adspend.

Details of the report Mobile Music: Videos, Streamed, Full Tracks, Ringbacks, Ringtones & Downturn Analysis 2009-2013 (5th edition) can be freely downloaded.

Originally posted on February 21, 2009 @ 9:58 am

FlipGloss.com launches site that offers unique experience on fashion and lifestyle content

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14FlipGloss Media, a company founded by Yahoo Music veterans, has launched FlipGloss.com, an immersive visual discovery experience that features fashion, design, travel and other lifestyle photography. FlipGloss content is curated from around the world and updated daily. Inspired by the rich environment of magazines, FlipGloss combines fresh editorial photo features, search and on-image interaction to further the promise of a more visual web.

FlipGloss users can enjoy full screen, editorial photo stories and easily find out more about products, places and people that catch their eyes. Using the site’s unique ‘Flip, Hover, Discover’ navigation, FlipGloss users can flip through images, hover over objects of interest and click to discover product information, related recommendations or where to purchase. In addition, FlipGloss offers publishers and advertisers a suite of services to showcase their content and advertising creative in innovative ways. On FlipGloss, all content is presented as full page images including relevant advertising.

Originally posted on February 19, 2009 @ 12:55 pm

Filed Under: Web

Yahoo! introduces new ad products with greater reach precision

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Yahoo! Inc. has introduced three new targeting products for brand and performance marketers that are designed to help them reach the audiences that matter most when advertising online.

The new products include:

• Search Retargeting, which gives advertisers the ability to target display advertising based on user search activities;

• Enhanced Retargeting, which allows advertisers to deliver dynamically generated display ads across the Yahoo! network based on user activity on an advertiser’s site; and

• Enhanced Targeting capabilities for search advertising, including ad scheduling and demographic targeting within search.

“As the economy continues to put pressure on advertising budgets, marketers are looking for increased accountability for every dollar they spend. Yahoo!’s new targeting products significantly improve the ability for search and display advertisers to reach their target audience, providing increased efficiency and accountability,” said Michael Walrath, senior vice president, Advertising Marketplaces Group, Yahoo!.

Originally posted on February 24, 2009 @ 12:11 pm